Loading device



May 20, 19M. A. HUELLE LOADING DEVICE Filed Aug. 29, 1940 4 Sheets-Shea?. 1

nvenior iorney A. HUELLE 2,242,860

LOADING DEVICE May 20, 1941.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 29, 1940 Inventor May 20, 1941. A. HUELLE LOADING DEVICE Filed Aug. 29, 1940 4 sheets-sheet 4 9 Inventor y #M0405 /ff// By i ' Attorney May 20, 1941. A, HQJELLE 2,242,860

LOADING DEVICE Filed Aug. 29. 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 In Uentor A Homey i By -Patrentecl May 20, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Q LOADING DEVICE Adolph Ruelle, McClelland, Iowa Application August 29, 1940, Serial No. 354,748

1 Claim. (Cl. )E14- 140) This invention relates to a manure loading device vin the form of an attachment especially adapted .for installation on a conventional type of tractor, and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character which will receive power from the tractor for its operation and will be extremely simple to control by the operator of the tractor and will permit materials of different kinds to be quickly gathered up and elevated to a selected height for unloading into a vehicle or for piling at some selected place remote from where said material is gathered.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.v

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Y Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating a tractor equipped with a loading device constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating the opposite side of the tractor with the device applied thereto.

Figure 3 is a front elevation illustrating the device installed on the tractor.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional View illustrating a drivenshaft and a clutch mechanism therefor.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, illustrating a latch means for sustaining the loadgathering device in operative or load-carrying position. v

Figure 6 is a perspective View illustrating the scoop.

Figure 7 is a perspective view illustrating a loading fork. v

Figure 8 is a perspective view illustrating a clutch control rod.

The foregoing description briefiy sets forth a tractor to which the present invention may be readily installed so that the tractor can be u sed for gathering and loading material onto a vehicle or for piling the material at a selected place.

A pair of main arms l are arranged on'opposite sides of the tractor and extend forwardly thereof for a considerable distance and have the rear ends detachably secured on the draft bar 6', as shown at 8. The'main arms l adjacent the forward ends thereof are connected by a transverse member 9 and pivotally mounted to y the forward ends of said arms is either a scoop It Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevation partly or a gatheringv fork H. The pivotal connection between the scoop or fork and the arms is indicated by the character l2.

'The scoop l0 ispreferably in the form of a bucket having a sharpened edge l3-so as to readily loosen or dig into materials for gathering them in the scoop. The scoop is further provided, between its upper and lower edges, with an external ange M which may be engaged by a latch l5 pivotally mounted, as shown at I6. The latch releasably retains the scoop in loadcarrying position.

The fork il includes a series of tines Il with a rear upstanding frame I8 of skeleton formation. Guide members I9 are secured on the fork il and also on the scoop lll. The side members are for the purpose of engaging the cross member E of the main arms l to prevent the fork or the .scoop from tilting rearwardly on the pivot. It

is to Ibe understood that when the fork H is employed the latch l5 may engage with the frame i8 for sustaining the forli in operative position.

A vertical frame 2t is mounted on the forward end of the tractor and has journaled thereon a power shaft Zi connected to the pulley-Eby an endless belt 22. A pulley 23 is secured tothe power shaft 2i over which the belt 22 is trained. A jack shaft 26 is journaled on the frame 26 directlyabove the shaft 2i and a sprocket chain 23 trained over sprocket gears 2t transmits power from the shaft 2l to the shaft 2li, it being understood that'the sprocket gears are secured on the respective shafts.

The clutch shaft 25 is journaled on the frame 2@ above the shaft 24 and connected therewith is a clutch 26, including clutch elements 21 and 28. The clutch element 2'5 is splined on the clutch shaft 25, while the clutch element 28 4is journaled thereon. The clutch element 28 is `connected to the jack shaft 2li -by a sprocket chain 29 and sprocket gears 30, it being understood that one of the-sprocket' gears 1s secured on the shaft 24 vwhile the other sprocket gear forms an integral part of the clutch element 28.

A clutch fork 3l 'engages with the clutch element 21 and is journaled on the frame 2li and is provided with a cam arm 3l. An operating rod 32 isjournaled on the frame 20 and extends rearwardly over the tractor and is supported by a rack 33 mounted on the rear portion of the tractor. A cam 32' is secured on the-rod 32 and engages thecam arm 3i'. The operating rod '32 is in convenient reach of the driver of the tractor and. may be rotated in the proper direction for disengaging the clutch element 21 from the clutch element 28. A spring 34 acts on the clutch element 21 to normally engage the same with the clutch element 28 so that when it is desired to disengage the clutch the operator must rotate and hold the operating rod 32 to retain the clutch disengaged.

Journaled on the frame above the clutch shaft is a drum shaft 35 on which is secured a drum 36. The drum shaft 35 is connected to the Vclutch shaft 25 by a. sprocket chain 31 trained vdrum by pivotal movement of an operating arm 42. The arm 42' is pivotally connected to a connecting rod 43 which is in turn pivoted to a control lever 44 mounted on the tractor in convenient reach of the driver or operator.

A ratchet gear 45 is secured on theclutch shaft 25 and coacting therewith is a pivoted dog 46 adapted to ratchet over the ratchet gear in one direction and. to engage and lock therewith on rotation of the ratchet gear in a reverse direction. The dogvl is operated or disengaged from the ratchet gear byman operating rod 41 extending rearwardly over the tractor and supported by the driver or 'operator of the tractor whenever it is desired to disengage the dog from the ratchet gear.

A trip arm 46 is pivotally mounted on the frame 20 within the path of the upward movement of the main arms 1' and is connected to a bell crank lever 41' by a connecting link 48. The bell crank lever is pivotally mounted on the frame 20 and is connected to the power takeoff control lever 1 of the tractor by a connecting link 49. The trip arm 43 is so located that'when the loading fork or scoop carried by the arms 1' reaches its uppermost position the trip arm, will be rocked on its pivot to actuate the control lever 1 and bring about interruption of the power from the tractor to the drive shaft 2l and con-` sequently automatically stop the elevation of the ried by the cross member 9 of the arms 1 to coact with the cam element 53 in imparting rotaton to the shaft for the purpose of disengaging the dog from the scoop or fork. An arm -arm 51 and to one of the arms'l.

51 is formed on the pivoted end of the cam 55 and a connecting link 58 is pivoted thereto. A

-lever 5S is pivoted on one of the arms 1' and hasgthe connecting lever 58 pivoted thereto. A connecting link 5@ is pivoted to the lever 53 and.' to a control lever 5l pivotally mounted on .the tractor 5. A coil spring 62 is connected tothe A cam roller 64 is located on the scoop or fork. To release the scoop or fork for gravitation into an'unload- 'ing position, a pull is made on the control lever 5l which causes the cam 55to engage the cam 53 and thereby release the latch I5 from the fork or scoop. During the pull on the control lever 5l the cam 55 passes the cam 53 and strikes the roller to urge the scoop or fork into dumping position, it being understood that the latch previously has been disengaged.

A spring bumper 65 is carried by one arms l in the path of movement of the connecting link 53 andis adapted to be engaged thereby when the control lever 6l has been moved into a position of releasing the catch from the scoop or'fork and for engaging the cam 55 with the cam roller 64 so that on the control lever 6| being returned to its original position, the spring bumper 65 will act to move the cam 55 beyond dead center position and thereby return to its initial position past the cam 53 so that the latch may return to latching position.

A yieldable connection 10 is arranged between the tractor 5 and the scoop or fork and which will permit the scoop or fork to assume dumping position when the arms 1 are elevated. However, when the arms move to a substantially lowered position, the yieldable connection 10 will act to .swing the scoop or fork into load-carrying position so as to' be engaged by the latch l5.

rack 33 so as to be in convenient reach of the In operation, with the arms 1 in their lowermost position, the scoop or fork is then riding upon the ground so that a forward motion of the tractor will load material therein. To elevate the scoop or fork into load-carrying position, the operator clutches the power takeoff pulley 6 into gear with the power source of the tractor'through the operation of the hand lever 1. The power shaft ,2l is then rotated by power from the power source of the tractor. The operator engages the clutch 26 so that the drum 36 will be rotated for winding thereon the flexible element 40 and thereby bring about the elevation of the scoop or fork to load-carrying position. As the scoop or fork nears load-carrying position, itv engages the trip arm '46' and imparts pivotal movement thereto so as to actuate the hand control lever 1 and bring about declutching of the power takeolT pulley from the power source of the tractor.

The dog 46 engaging the ratchet gear 45 retains the scoop or fork in load-carrying position.

When it is desired to dump the load from the scoop or fork, the operator pulls upon the control lever 6I. To lower the scoop or fork into engagement with the ground after unloading, the operator rst declutches the clutch and applies the brake, then releases4 the ratchet dog from the ratchet gear 45. The brake is then slowly released to permit the scoop to gradually gravitate to the ground. As the scoop or fork cornes in V ferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction,

4of the I i ing shaft journaled on said arms, means for conmeans in load-carrying position, a latch operatf o necting said latch to said shaft, a cam secured to said shaft, a pivoted cam for coaction with the rst cam to actuate the latch and to move the material carrying means toward dumping position after the release of the latch therefrom and the disengagement of the second cam from the first cam, an operating means for the second cam, anda-spring restoring means coactive with said operating means to assist the latter in restoring the second cam to its initial position of engaging said first cam.

ADOLPH HUELLE. 

